The Indiana Department of Education on Wednesday released the statewide
ISTEP-plus scores from the testing this spring showing an increase in scores
statewide with 79.5 percent of students passing the English/Language Arts
portion (79.4 percent in 2012) and 82.7 percent passing math (81.2% in
2012).

Passing both sections was 73.5 percent, according to DOE data.

While traditionally released earlier in the summer, results were delayed due
to computer glitches during testing in numerous schools across the state
including the Duneland School Corporation.

DSC scores are up this year and still above the state averages with an
overall score of 84.6 passing the English portion and 86.8 percent passing
Math. Passing both were 79 percent. In 2012, Duneland Schools scored an
overall passing rate of 83 percent for English and 85.3 percent for Math
with 77 percent passing both.

Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Jim Goetz noted that the school saw
improvements across all schools including the middle school which had the
lowest scores last year.

“We’re happy but not satisfied. We’re always striving to do better and we
need to do better. We’d like to see 100 percent, that would be marvelous.
But that’s what all schools statewide work for,” Goetz said.

Goetz said he believes Duneland scores could have been higher this year if
it weren’t for the computer glitches, as would other school districts
affected. Duneland reported students taking the test were being booted off
the system for at least two testing days.

“Were we affected by it? I don’t see how we couldn’t,” said Goetz, adding
that a lot of pressure is put on students for testing. He hopes the state
will be able to eradicate the computer problems by next year.

Discovery Charter School’s results stayed virtually the same as last year,
dipping just slightly with 90.3 percent passing both the English and Math
portions compared to 90.5 percent in 2012. Scores in English and Math
basically flipped this year for Discovery with 95 percent passing English
(93.5 percent in 2012) and 92 percent passing math (96 percent in 2012).

Discovery Director Ernesto Martinez said he is not at all dismayed by the
almost unnoticeable decrease. He said the school saw a population increase
of about 80 new students and the school worked to boost those students’
testing performance.

“We’re very happy with the results and attribute them to the hard work of
our staff, students and parents,” Martinez said. He said the school
outperformed the other public school districts in Porter County. While St.
Patrick’s scores were higher, Martinez pointed out Discovery has a larger
student population.

The following is a grade-by-grade breakdown of the school scores in Duneland.

Grade 3

Statewide average passing in English/language arts was 85.2%. Statewide
average in math was 80.1%.

Jackson: English, 95.2%; math, 96.8%; passing both, 93.7%.

Brummitt: English, 98.4%; math, 90.2%; passing both, 88.5%.

Bailly: English, 96.1%; math, 87.4%; passing both, 85.4%.

Yost: English, 86%; math, 87.2%; passing both, 82.6%.

Liberty Elementary: English, 93.3%; math, 94.1%; passing both, 88.2%.

Discovery: English, 98.1%; math, 98.1%; passing both, 96.2%.

St. Patrick: English, 100%; math, 100%; passing both, 100%.

Grade 4

Statewide average passing in English/language arts was 84.3%. Statewide
average in math was 83.5%.

Jackson: English, 95.9%; math, 95.1%; passing both, 91.9%.

Brummitt: English, 75.5%; math, 75.5%; passing both, 71.4%.

Liberty Elementary: English, 90.9%; math, 96.8%; passing both, 93.7%.

Bailly: English, 88.9%; math, 94.9%; passing both, 85.9%.

Yost: English, 85.5%; math, 78.3%; passing both, 71.1%.

Discovery: English, 95.8%; math, 87.2%; passing both, 87.2%.

St. Patrick: English, 95.8%; math, 95.8%; passing both, 95.8%.

Grade 5

Statewide average passing in English/language arts was 79.2%. Statewide
average in math was 87%.